


Shedding Skin

by sabaat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Black Family Drama (Harry Potter), Dark Magic, Domestic Violence, Gen, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Malfoy Family Feels (Harry Potter), Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Re-Sorting, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherin Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaat/pseuds/sabaat
Summary: At the verge of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, Harry Potter has to face the beginning of a new war and the existence of a Secret Order, of which his parents were part, while no one feels like he’s old enough to know, well, anything.Nearly no one, anyway.Amidst new teachers, family secrets and life changes, young witches and wizards of Britain will face the beginning of an old, terrible war without being given any weapons to fight with.A war of which they don’t know much more than the last battle...
Relationships: Harry Potter & Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter & Severus Snape
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50





	1. The Boy Who Lied

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings y'all!!  
> I'm keeping most of the tags for me, I don't want to spoil too much. Sorry/Not Sorry.  
> Also, sorry for my English, not exactly my first (or second) language.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lied**

One terrible thought crossed Harry’s mind while he was waiting for the entire Wizengamot to decide upon his fate as a student of the renowned School of Wizardry and Witchcraft of Hogwarts.

What if they wipe my mind, mine and the Dursley’s and everyone else’s? What if I’ll have to go back to the Muggle world and be a Muggle, and forever forget about magic and my friends and Sirius and my parents and… He breathed deeply, trying to focus on the chaotic voices of the members of the court.

No. If they tried to do _that,_ he would attack the Minister himself until they would have no choice than putting him down as the rabid dog they thought he was, for he would not let anyone made him again that boy. He was Harry Potter now, he knew his parents’ names and faces and he would not let anyone erase that.

Before his mind could go forth with that kind of thought, they judged him and he could start breathing again. He saw the iridescent robes o the Headmaster leave the room while the last echo of his voice pleading him disappeared in the hall.

*******

There was something different about Grimmauld Place 12 when he came back. The first thing he noticed was the noise, as no one was attempting to lower their voices and, incredibly, there was no trace of Sirius’ mother’s portrait or of the elves’ heads in the hall. 

“They managed to put that thing down then?” he asked turning around to meet Mr. Weasley equally disconcerted expression.

“I don’t know how they did it, Harry. We tried for weeks and nothing, and now it’s down and this place even looks… brighter… more colourful too. I would say it’s like magic” he laughed before heading toward the meeting room, “but it’s not like we didn’t tried plenty of that! Go upstairs Harry, join the others with the good news.”

Harry would have tried to join the meeting, had he not already heard the slimy voice of Snape. He walked to his room, Hermione, Ron and the others already there, waiting.

“So?”, asked the muggleborn. “They let you go, right? They had no basis to even expel you on the first place, I read all about the processes for use of magic and, in accordance with the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery they simply can’t”

“In Merlin’s white beard’s name Hermione!” interrupted Fred. Or maybe George. “Let him enter the door at least.”

“And take a breath.” Another voice said, nearly inaudible. Harry knew it was Ron’s.

“Yeah, yeah” started Harry before they could start arguing over it, “I’m free. They thought there were actually Dementors. Mostly of them, anyway. Dumbledore came to defend me. I tired to speak with him, but he left without even… looking… at me.” A headache started to form in his forehead. It sounded all a bit stupid when he said it aloud, but none the less it hurt. To be ignored that way…it was too similar to his years growing up with the Dursleys for his comfort.

“Well Harry” Ron’s voice was unsure, “probably he was busy with some Order’s thing. Since that woman came after you and dad left this morning everyone went a bit crazy, honestly. I don’t understand it, really. They send us up here; we can’t even go in the kitchen, there’s some kind of spell that doesn’t let us. And George and Fred’s Extendable Ears don’t work either so”. Ron stopped abruptly.

“Woman?” Asked Harry, hoping to have Ron restart his speech. “Which woman?”

“This one here.” Said a voice behind him.

He turned around. There was a woman at the room’s threshold, _just behind him._ He hadn’t heard her. _How did she managed to sneak upon me?_ It was years that no one could do that. The only one who could manage it was Snape, with his bat-likely movements.

She was, without doubt, beautiful. And something about her seemed known, but Harry was sure they had never met before. Long, curly, black hair that looked longer due to her small figure, and a pale skin. Big, bluish eyes whose shape was familiar. She was slightly smiling, and her dark lipstick made her mouth resemble that of a wild predator, somehow. It was scaring ad a bit disconcerting; Harry had never seen anyone wear a grey shade of lipstick, not even a witch. Not even a witch clothed in leather pants and a white blouse that was way too transparent.

Danger. She screamed danger. Harry knew the feeling all too well.

And suddenly her demeanor was softer, even with those lips and clothes she looked friendly now. Kind even, one could’ve say. Harry would’ve not.

“The launch is ready. You can come down now if you want; the reunion is over.” Her voice was sweet too, but she was gone before he could make a sound.

He heard a soft moaning from one of the twins, or maybe both of them.

“That woman...”, one started.

“…it’s too good for this world…”

“.. too pure...”

“…too…”

“For Morgana’s sake, both of you!” Ginny half-screamed angrily, “Have a bit of common decency, would you?” And then she started descending to the dining room, followed by Hermione and an irritated Crookshanks.

Harry, Ron and the twins looked at each other and laughed, before going after the girls.

*******

The dining room was nicer than at breakfast. Everything looked cleaner and brighter, and there were even some plants in the room. Plants with bright flower, red and yellow. If someone had told him that that room could look like that, Harry wouldn’t have believed it.

Mrs Weasley was serving lunch, and the strange woman was sitting at one end of the table, Sirius at her right. They were chatting and smiling at each other, and it all looked very natural. When his godfather saw him, he raised on his feet and invited him to come closer, putting an arm around his neck when he was close enough.

“Harry, I have the pleasure to present you my little sister, Selene Black.” He said, a bit overexcited.

The sense of resemblance that Harry couldn’t point mere minutes ago was obvious, now that he saw them near each other. While she was certainly smaller that Sirius, they had the same lustrous hair and the shape of their eyes was the same, even though hers were more blue than grey. They were both charming, in a wicked way.

She smiled at him and extended a hand, which Harry shook. When he let her hand go, he felt he did something wrong. Her hand wasn’t in the right position for a handshake. Maybe he should’ve kissed it? His confusion was probably showing all over his face, because she smiled at him and spoke with the same low voice she used before.

“Don’t worry, dear. I shouldn’t expect you to know these things; hardly no one uses them anymore.” She didn’t look angry. Not like Mrs Weasley, who was eying the other woman with a disapproval. Harry thought it was because of her transparent blues; one could clearly see some lace underneath it.

“Then why putting the hand in that position, Selene?” Yeah, Mrs Weasley didn’t like her. Not. Even. A. Bit. It would’ve been amusing if only Mrs Weasley wasn’t also so scary.

“A habit, I must say.” Sirius’ sister took a sip of water. “It’s like every lesson I learnt in this house is coming back all at once. And I’m a bit afraid my mother’s ghost will just appear from the walls if I do not follow every lesson.”

Both Sirius and her laughed a bit at that, and then the launch started amidst friendly, idle conversation.

*******

The next morning there were the Hogwarts letters waiting for them at breakfast.

“Fat time they arrived”, said Ron, “Usually they come much sooner. Only three new ones: _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5,_ by Miranda Goshawk; _Defensive Magical Theory_ , by Wilbert Slinkhard, and _In The Name Of Lady Magic,_ by one Cricco Di Teodoro.” Ron looked a bit pained after reading the name of the last author, like it was too much for him that soon in the morning. And then he looked completely speechless. Harry supposed he would’ve bee too, if he was chosen as Prefect.

He had totally forgot about that.

It wasn’t that he thought he deserved to be one, but… he didn’t thought Ron should’ve become one either. There was no way Ron could make people respect any rule. But all of that went in the shadows while he looked at his own letter.

_This is an error, surely._

How else was possible that his letter was _“pleased to inform him that he has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ ”?

It could only be an error, right?


	2. It’s a Pink Toad, Baby

**Cap 2. It’s a Pink Toad, Baby**

To be completely fair, Harry had really thought it was a joke of the twins. And he went on thinking it was a joke until four days later, when Ron, Hermione and the twins received each a new letter from Hogwarts.

“I can’t believe this!” there was a screeching tone in Ron’s voice. “They appoint me Prefect and the same week they get out with this bullshit…”

“Ronald Weasley!” interrupted his mother voice from the other room, “Pay attention to that mouth of yours, young man.”

“My mouth is not the problem. That we’ll all have to be resorted, that’s the problem!”

Hermione was sitting under the window petting Crookshanks, a pained expression on her face. “Apparently the Wizengamot passed a new law some days ago. Something about the problem of labelling children in a such young age, so everyone from the Fifth Year onwards. I don’t understand why it is a problem now, though.”

“My letter wasn’t a joke…” Harry didn’t thought someone would’ve heard his whisper, but five pair of eyes looked at him at the same time. “What?”

Fred apparated behind him and stole the letter from his hands. “Oh, for the beard of Merlin Harrykins! Aren’t you just a cute, little First Year now?”

“Well he was expulsed, no?” said Hermione, “It only make sense that the school would treat him as a total new student. It doesn’t mean anything, Harry, don’t worry. We’ll all be resorted anyway, so we’re all in the same boat.”

“But, ‘Mione, we were chosen as Prefects. And the letter says that all the nominations were voided, they’ll chose again after the resorting. It’s so unjust! Why would they do this to us?”

“It’s just a resorting, Ronald! You were put in Gryffindor 4 years ago, you’ll be put there again. All this thing is just a waste of time, anyway. We should take care to study for our OWLS, not worry about this… this…” She didn’t seem to be able to finish her sentence.

Harry knew he was a Gryffindor. He was brave as they came. He faced Voldemort, for hell’s sake! But there was a little voice in his head that was repeating the Sorting Hat’s words. ‘ _You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that-‘._ No, he wasn’t a Slytherin. Not even a little bit, Harry thought.

And if the sorting hat had put in in Gryffindor the first time, why not again?

***

The train ride felt uncomfortable enough, and louder than ever. Harry supposed it was normal, with all the chaos the resorting thing must’ve caused, people would want to speak about it. Yet no one of them dared say a thing about it, during all the ride. They didn’t even spoke about Voldemort’s return, but each of them quietly went on with something different. Hermione was engrossed with her book, while Ron and Harry played Exploding Snap, and Ginny was sleeping. It seemed like merely minutes passed and they were at Hogwarts, in the Great All, all on their feet, waiting for the sorting after the Firs Years already went to their new Houses.

Dumbledore started his speech, silencing the many voices in the room. “Now now, I know that all of you were surprised by the news. So were I and the teachers, but a new law was issued and it’s our duty to follow it. I know that some of you might not be happy with the thought of changing house but, even if this will happen, do not be afraid! You will not change; doesn’t matter the colour of your uniform, you’ll always be yourselves. Be proud of your origins, and make your new House proud too, and I’m sure you’ll become the best witches and wizards that you could possibly ever become. May the Second Sorting begin!”

Professor McGonagall started with the Seventh Years, first the Slytherins, then the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws, and lastly the Gryffindors. Not many did change House, and that tranquillized Harry a bit. When it was Fred’s turn to wear the Hat, no one was expecting anything. All Weasleys go to Gryffindor. It was known. And so, when the Hat screamed SLYTHERIN! there was a chill going around the room. Beside him, Ron became paler than snow, breathing harder.

Fred changed his place with George and slowly started directing himself toward the Slytherin table, which didn’t seem overly happy but clapped politely nevertheless. It was no surprise when George followed him seconds later, no one would’ve expected them to be separated.

This… this was not good. Not at all.

If even Fred and George could be sent to the snake’s pit, the Sorting Hat will not have any mercy for him. From their new table, the twins were looking at each other without speaking a word.

The Sixth year went pretty much as the Seventh, not many surprises there. Some switching between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and a couple Gryffindors went to Hufflepuff, but there wasn’t any other mixing Slytherin and Gryffindor.

At the end, it was the Fifth Year’s turn to go toward the resorting. Ron had started hyperventilating, and Hermione was muttering something under her breath, not much differently than on her first sorting.

Among the Slytherins, Millicent Bullstrode and Vincent Crabble were sent to Huflepuff, while Dahpne Greengrass went to Ravenclaw, followed by – and no one was expecting this – Gregory Goyle.

Hufflepuff sent her Susan Bones to Slytherin, but the rest of them stayed in their first house.

Of the Ravenclaws, Terry Boot and Morag MacDougal became Gryffindors and Lisa Turpin a Hufflepuff.

At the end, Gryffindors’ turn to be resorted came. Harry thought he was about to vomit.

Lavander was the first, quickly resorted to Hufflepuff. Seamus remained in the House and then it was Hermione’s turn. It looked like she was discussing with the Hat, and Harry was not completely sure of whom of them had win when the Hat screamed RAVENCLAW! and Hermione’s robes changed colour in a blink of an eye. Harry may had not liked it, but this at least was acceptable.

After her, Neville was sent to Hufflepuff and Padma didn’t change house. When Ron had to sit under the Hat, he looked like he was about to throw up all over himself, but the Hat was as quick as the first time and put him back to Gryffindor.

At the end, it came Harry’s turn.

_“Oh, you again! So rarely I can see the minds of you youngsters more than once, and in your case, you managed a third. Incredible feet, I would say. I know where you should go, it’s not the first time I say this, isn’t it?”_

“Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin.”

 _“Again with this, young wizard? Well, you may had convinced me back then, and maybe it was not wrong for you to feel like a lion at the beginning, you needed that kind of confidence for once in your life. But now, Mr Potter, you have to learn to think strategically, because the Dark Lord is back, and courage will not be enough this time to defeat him. No, better be…_ SLYTHERIN!”

Harry supposed that the same feeling went through Sirius when they condemned him to Azkaban.

***

He sat between the twins, and kept his eyes down. He felt like all the eyes in the room were on his back.

Then Dumbledore started speaking again, and Harry nearly didn’t find the courage to look at him. “Well, after all these emotions, let me sway your attention for the usual notices. The Forbidden Forest is, of course, _forbidden_ , and maybe some of our oldest students would like a reminder of that.

“We have had three changes is staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher _,_ as well as Professor Black, that will take over the History of Magic course - _“_

Harry looked at the new teachers. The new DADA he has saw before, she was the same woman with a saccharine voice that was present at his audience with the Wizengamot. Professor Black, Dumbledore had said… he found her fast, she was sitting between Professor McGonagall and Snape, chatting politely with them. Why she hadn’t told them about her position as a teacher? Surely, Sirius must have-

“Hem, hem,” both his thought and Dumbledore’s recommendations were stopped. The woman in pink, short as she was, was now standing and started do make a speech. Harry found her voice to be insufferable, and could barely make sense of her words. No one seemed to be able to listen at her for long; and at the Ravenclaw table Luna, the strange girl he had met previously that night, was reading the Quibbler, and most of the other students were chatting among themselves. Not the Slytherins, thought, Harry noticed. They were looking at her without any kind of emotion showing on their faces. At the Ranvenclaw table, Hermione seemed to drink every and each of her words, but her face showed a range of emotions Harry never saw before, like she had ate something full of salt and sugar at the same time.

Before Harry could make sense of the long speech, it stopped, and the teachers were clapping their hands. He noticed Snape’s hands, merely doing two claps before taking the glass in front of him and taking a big gulp of wine. Harry didn’t thought he had ever saw him take more than a sip from his glass. At his side, Sirius’ sister – _Professor Black_ , he reminded himself – was smiling the that polite smile of hers, and clapped a bit longer.

“Illuminating,” a voice near him said. Pansy Parkinson was sitting very straight in her place, arms crossed. She didn’t look much happy.

“They send that pink toad here so the Ministry can interfere at Hogwarts.” Malfoy didn’t look happy either, but Harry couldn’t identify his expression, because he didn’t look unhappy either. “That would be a first time in… ever, I think. This just doesn’t -”

“Draco.” A boy – Harry was nearly sure he was called Zabini- interrupted him, they shared a look and then Malfoy kept on eating some vegetables he had on his plate, like he never started speaking at all. Harry thought it was all pretty formal and cold, and missed the warm dinners with the other Gryffindors. At least he had Fred and George, he thought.

The twins were starting to chat with some of the other students at the table, somehow nearly being their same selves. Harry couldn’t speak at all, but he saw some of the other students sending him suspicious looks.

The dinner, in all its terrible silence, seemed to go on forever, and then they all raised as one, some Sixth-Year Prefect leading them to the dungeons.

Harry wanted to stay over and speak with Ron and Hermione, but Theodore Nott, a whole head taller than him, intercepted him before he could reach them.

“Potter.” He seemed nearly pained by the simple act of speaking to him. “If you don’t come with us now, you’ll stay out of the common room. Professor Snape won’t be happy, believe me. I did it during the third year and he gave me three weeks of detention, I passed every evening cleaning cauldrons. Without magic.” He took a short, deep, breath. “He won’t be happy at all with _you_.”

Tracey Davis appeared beside him, took him under her arm, and started chatting happily. He felt a bit scared. He didn’t thought he and Davis had ever spoke before.

“So, Harry, I hope you like water, yes? You’ll love the common room, I assure you. We have the most comfortable couches that have _ever been made_ , and the light is simply charming you see, perfect to read while having a nice cup o tea…” She went on and on with her idle talk, the rest of the Slytherins all around them, pushing him forward.

***

They arrived in the dungeons quickly and, after some strange turnings, the Prefects stopped in front of an anonymous section of the wall.

“Look well, because this won’t be repeated.” The female Prefect said to them, and then she tapped several times three different bricks. “ _Serpentis._ ” They entered in the room Harry and Ron had saw during their Polyjuice trip but moved forward until they entered a long corridor, turned left and then the girl repeated the same gestures in inverse sense on another wall. “ _Modo Serpens”_

In front of them, another room appeared, larger than the first one. A high hexagonal ceiling made of glass was the first thing Harry noticed; like a window, but in the wrong place. The walls were full of books and portraits, and one of them was occupied entirely by an enormous fireplace decorated with a giant snake head.

It wasn’t cosy, not like the Gryffindor Common Room was, but it wasn’t ugly, or cold either, as Harry had been afraid it would’ve been.

From somewhere on his left side, Snape’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “For those of you that do not know me, I am your Head of House, Severus Snape, and I will try to teach you the most noble art of Potion Making in the years that will follow.” The tall, thin man seemed to appear, like he always did, from nowhere, and was missing his usual teaching robes, wearing instead a long black jacket over black pants, and a black and silver waist belt from which a wand holder and a dagger hanged. He looked as threating as ever, if not more. The few First Years were looking at him with eyes as big as saucers.

They were just six, Harry noticed, two boys and four girls, and something in their eyes must had moved even the heartless Snape, because he abruptly changed demeanour, looking les threatening somehow.

“You are now Slytherins,” he continued, “Our is a noble and ancient House, so bear it with pride. I’m telling you this, now, that many out of these rooms will not be very happy with you because of the colours of your robes. They do not know anything of you, but they will presume things. Let them presume; we are Slytherins and their opinions do not matter to us.

You must also know that I am expecting much from you, more than other Heads of Houses would. You will do well in your classes; if not, the upper years will be _delighted”_ and he fixed his black eyes into those of Pansy Parkinson, “To help you with your assignments. A timetable with their availability will be put in the notice board in the common room at the beginning of next week.

You’ll not be caught outside the Slytherin quarters after the curfew; if you enjoy working as a Domestic Elf for a couple of weeks and feel the unstoppable desire to pass your evenings cleaning the cauldrons from the Potion’s classes without the aid of your wand, you are of course free to not listen to my words. I hope I made myself quite clear on this point.” And he looked at the twins, not even _blinking_ until they nodded their heads.

“If you have any problems with other students, Slytherins or outsiders, you’ll go to the Prefects and, if they’re not available or you do not feel like confiding in them, you’ll come to me. This is not a request. You’ll come to me, and I will resolve the problem.

Now, Slytherin has some rules, and all of you will follow them” Harry could hear the threat in his voice, clear as it usually was in uncle Vernon’s. _You’ll follow them or else, boy._

 _“_ Rule number one. You are a family. I do not care if you hate each other, I don’t care if your parent killed each other during the last war or even if you have a feud between you home families that goes on from the times of Merlin. You’ll behave like a family outside these rooms, and no one that is not us will have the minimum suspect that there isn’t total harmony in my House. Remember: blood is thicker than water.

“Rule number two. You’re here to become the best wizards and witches of all times. That is what Salazar Slytherin sees in his students: the seed to greatness. So you will cultivate that seed and one day there will not be a single magical creature to not know of you. But do not think that it will be easy. Magic is sacrifice. It may not seem like it to you, not at the beginning. But there is no magic without sacrifice, you will do well to remember that.”

He paused for some seconds, his eyes going around and looking at all the students, like he was searching for something. Whatever that was, it seemed like he found it and then started again, his voice lower than usual, softer, a bit tired.

“I know these are difficult times. I’m not expecting you to be adults and face everything that is happening like you are adults. These could very well be the last peaceful couple of years before the storm comes to us. Be prepared for that storm, because we’ll be the first ones to be hit. But do not be afraid to enjoy these calm waters.” Before what he said could really sink, he resumed his previous, slimy voice and went on reciting the rules.

“Rule number 3. The last one. What you see or hear here, stays here. It doesn’t matter what it is that you have in front of you, be it a Dark Spell or an Evocations of Dead Souls. It will stay in these rooms and you will not speak of it outside of them, to anyone that isn’t or was a Slytherin. If you do it, there will be consequences. Slytherins do not betray other Slytherins, did I make myself clear?”

A chorus of ‘Yes, Professor Snape” invaded the room, coming from the First Years as well from the Seventh’s. Even Fred and George joined.

“Good. Now, from tomorrow you’ll have the usual curfew, and after 10pm no one will leave the rooms, as it is for every student in this castle. However, for the First and Second Year’s the light will go out at 9 and you _will be_ in your beds at that time. The Third and Fourth Years will go to sleep at 10:30, and the Fifth and Sixth Years at Midnight. The Last Years have no curfew inside the Slytherin Rooms.

He then sat on an elevated, decorated armchair that has been behind him all the time, similar to a throne, and a loud music spread through the room, foods and beverages appearing on the tables. Snape took out a cigarette, took out a silver lighter and started smoking, while a glass of some sort of liquor appeared on his hand. Nothing could’ve surprised Harry more; he had never saw Snape as someone prone to vices of any kind.

“Now, go on your rooms and change, the Starting of the Year Party has already started.”


	3. Lady Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wakes up in Wonderful Slytherin World and goes to the History of Magic lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make biweekly updates, but I can't guarantee on the days.
> 
> Also, I have all the major turning points and the end already mapped out, and I'm mostly working on the smaller details.  
> Still, I will need time. 
> 
> On the bright side, I already know I will make a spin-off from this. I'll let you guess on what, tho.

**Cap 3.: Lady Magic**

The next morning was hell.

For a moment Harry had forgot all about the resorting and, when he opened his eyes, was surprised about the colour of his beddings. Why everything was so… green? Then a pillow hit him in the face.

“Potter!” Malfoy’s voice was as unpleasant as ever. He was at the end of the bed, buttoning up his blazer with a disgusted expression on his face. “Move on, or we’ll all be late for breakfast and it will be your fault. I can’t believe you’re the last one to wake up, you didn’t even participate in the party last night. I didn’t expect much else from you of course, but one can always hope.” And then he stormed out.

Harry was indeed the last one in the room. He quickly dressed himself, took his bag and started moving toward the Common Room. The previous night he had gone with the other boys of his year in their bedroom and, while they dressed up and went down again, chatting excitingly between each other and _ignoring_ Harry, he had put on his pyjamas and straight on went to sleep. He had no intention of passing more time than strictly necessary with those snakes, and frankly he was feeling nauseous since the moment the bloody Hat had the brilliant idea to put him where he did not belong.

The other Slytherins of his year were all waiting for him and, when he arrived, they started getting out of the Common Room without paying him any attention until they arrived in the Great Hall and he tried to go toward the Gryffindor table. Zabini took his arm and glared at him.

“Not now Potter, it’s the first breakfast of the first school day. You can sit with them every lunch if you want, but for breakfast and dinner you will stay with your House.” He then left his arm, keeping his side until they arrived at the Slytherin table.

“How many of these ridiculous rules do you damned snakes have, can I know. Why the hell do you have all these damned _rules_? In Gryffindor we don’t have to follow any of this crazy stuff, and I assure you we live quite well.”

“Crazy stuff.” Pansy Parkinson’s voice wasn’t any more pleasant that Malfoy’s or Zabini’s had been. “Those are the exact same words I would’ve chose. Crazy stuff. We’ll have to work on his vocabulary too. Great. Just when I thought this could’ve been an easy job.”

“Remember what Professor Snape said yesterday, Pansy.”

She didn’t answer back to Malfoy, and her nose went up even more, if that was possible.

They sat at their table, putting food on their plates. Harry sat again near the Twins, isolating himself as much as he could from Malfoy and his clique.

“Harryikins, why you didn’t join the party yesterday?” they said as one.

“Why, you went?” Harry asked back. He couldn’t believe _this_.

“Of course we went.” Said Fred while chewing a piece of egg.

“Free food and free booze Harry.” His twin took his turn in speaking.

“Booze? They had _alcohol_?”

“Oh yeah, Snape let everyone older than 15 drink. I never thought I could like that man, but-“

“Well, not like-“

“More like _not dislike_ ”.

“And Sirius’s sister was there too. She and Snape looked like they were having the time of their lives. The bat never smiled if course, but we never saw him speak so much!”

“She was there, too?” Harry had felt deep down that she couldn’t really be a good person, it didn’t matter that she was Sirius’ sister, and now he knew. No good person would’ve shared voluntarily her time with Snape.

“Oh, yes.” George was pouring another cup of coffee for both himself and his brother. “She and Snape were still drinking firewhiskey and smoking when we went to bed.”

“Snape didn’t even scream at Malfoy when he hugged him. The twat was _so_ drunk!”

The twins looked way more joyous that a Gryffindor forced to live among snakes should be. Harry couldn’t wrap his mind at the thought of Snape being hugged. Not even by a drunk, stupid, pureblood.

And then Snape was there, and he didn’t look _at all_ like someone who had passed the night before drinking. He was distributing the timetables and speaking a few words with every student.

“Weasley One, today at 1pm you’ll come at my office and we’ll talk about your future, or lack of. Weasley Two, you’ll go just after him. Do not make me wait.” Then he turned to ace Harry, giving him a parchment as well. “Potter. Our meeting will be at 3:30 pm, just after the end of your Defence’s lesson.” He did not let him any chance of replaying before going away with his usual brusque movements.

Harry looked at the papers. They had History of Magic and then double Potions, followed by Divination and then double Defence. He would’ve tried to speak with his friends during one of the lessons.

***********

Professor Black had decided to change room for her lessons, and now the course was held in the Classroom 11 on the ground floor, where they had Professor McGonagall teach them to dance the previous year.

The room was now full of sofas and armchairs, a couple of small circular tables near every sitting place. There were different genealogical maps hanging around, and a huge painting in front of the entrance, portraying a half-naked woman with dark hair surrounded by lions and foxes. He quickly looked away.

While the other Slytherins quickly sat down, Harry found Hermione sitting alone on a sofa and ran to her.

“Hey Mione.” The girl took away her eyes from the text book and looked at him. “Harry! Came here and sit. I’m trying to have a read at the textbook, I don’t understand why they didn’t had it at Flourish and Blotts. I barely had time to read the first page, the book appeared near me when I sat here.” Harry sat down beside her, putting his leather bag on his left.

“So, Harry. How do you feel?”

“Good. They are ignoring me. Which is good, really. It’s better this way.”

“Please, pay attention Harry. I don’t know why the Hat put you there, but maybe there’s something there that you need to learn, or-“

“That’s exactly what it said.” He interrupted her. “That I needed to be in Slytherin now, because the things that Gryffindor can teach me are not enough anymore to defeat Vol-“. Hermione took a sharp breath, her eyes becoming bigger. “-demort.” Harry finished.

“This makes sense, at least. But you have to pay attention, Harry. A lot of people are believing what the Prophet is spewing around, and… And many students too.”

“Who? Some Ravenclaw I never spoke with?” He was becoming angrier by the minute.

“No, Harry, not just them. There is… well, this morning at breakfast… You know that the Ravenclaw table is next to the Gryffindor one. Seamus, he isn’t… well…”

“Really? Of course, he thought I had put my name in the Goblet last year, of course he would think that of me now too. Who else?” But before Hermione could answer back, Sirius’ sister had entered the room in a rustle of clothes.

“Good morning Slytherins and Ravenclaws” She walked all the way toward the end of the room, under the portrait of the woman, and sat on a green velvety armchair. Under her black teaching robes she was wearing a green dress and high heels, and while Harry thought it was way too much for Hogwarts, at least she wasn’t wearing a transparent blouse as she had when he first met her.

“My name is Selene Black, and I’m your new teacher of History of Magic. If you look around you, you’ll find a copy of the text book. Now, I do understand that this course had been held by Professor Binns since before any of us was born, and so it needed some refresh, which is why I’m here now. I know you have studied at length the history of the magic wars between our kind and other magical beings and, as much as that is an important part of hour history, is not one that affects us as much as others still do.”

She looked then at the students, observing each of them.

“Some of you are aware of their past. Others… not so much, I’m afraid. Now, that’s what we are going to study in our lessons. What is our past? And from where does our magic comes from?”

The students in the room, Harry noticed, were now excited. This looked to be the opposite of what Binn’s lesson. For the first time since when he came from Diagon Alley and went through all the books in search of a name for Hedwig, Harry too felt exited about History of Magic.

Hermione too had a curious look on her face, but there was suspicion there, too.

“Now: where does our magic comes from? Someone has an idea?”

The Slytherins all had a half smug expression on their faces, like they already knew the answer. Some of the Ravenclaws were the same, too. Harry had asked himself that same question many times, and had thought that would’ve been the first thing they would’ve been taught at Hogwarts, but no one ever did that, and with time the question left his mind.

“Miss Granger.” Professor Black said, “I’ve been told you’re one of the most brilliant witches of your generation. I imagine you had searched for an answer to that question?”

Hemione looked proud for a moment, then she frowned. “I’ve looked through the books at the library, but it didn’t seem like anyone of them explicated it. It’s like… well, we’re born like this, and that’s it, I suppose. I would be like asking why the sun shines or the waters are blue, I think. Some things just... are.” She didn’t look happy with the explication.

“That’s a way to see it, Mrs Granger, and many witches and wizards do think this. But not all. Now, you are a muggle born, am I right?” She didn’t put any particular inflection on her phrase, and no one would’ve thought she meant anything by asking about the blood status of someone. Yet, Harry didn’t thought that was something they should speak about. What did it matter if someone was Muggleborn or not in a history lesson?

“Yes, Professor Black.”

Their teacher smiled back to her, then looked around the room, stopping at a blond girl. “Mrs Greengrass, you from a pureblood family. Where does our magic comes from?”

“From sacrifice, Professor.” She looked very sure of her answer, and Harry couldn’t understand how she could be sure of _that_. “My mother told me that, many centuries ago, one of our ancestors needed something from Lady Magic, so he made a sacrifice to one of her Forms, and the wish was granted. But the Form too wanted something from my ancestor, and She gave her a powerful gift to last for many generations, as long as my blood would keep to give back to the Form what she asked. And that’s how magic came to us.”

Harry thought that was some kind of fairy tale her parents must had told her when she was a child, and asked himself how she could’ve been sorted to Ravenclaw if she still believed in that tale. But than he looked around, and he saw many of the other students slightly nodding. Some of the Ravenclaws still looked unsure, but none of the Slytherins, Harry noticed. 

“That’s a story many purebloods and halfbloods would be familiar with.” Professor Blacks continued. “Now, you may be confused by the term ‘Form’. Or even by the term ‘Lady Magic’. In the old wizarding culture, we refer to the magical energy that goes through the world with the term ‘Lady Magic’. Lady Magic is a sentient energy, but you shouldn’t imagine her as a physical being, for she is not. But, at the beginning of time, Lady Magic put a great deal of Her energy in determinate beings, which were called Gods. Some believe the Gods never actually were gods, just the very first witches and wizards, but is also believed they are immortal beings, and we all know that magic can’t give immortality.

If they were indeed just very powerful wizards, it is possible that they were capable of creating something akin to the Philosophical Stone and use it to have eternal life. This is all speculation, of course.” Beside him, Hermione was scrabbling down as fast as she could, spots of ink going around her parchment. Not all the students were taking notes, and Harry supposed that, if this was some pureblood stuff, they already knew it.

“What we know for sure is that all pureblood families have their grimoires, and in each of them there are stories about how magic came to them. All these stories are some version of what Mrs. Greengrass told us. The ‘Form’ she spoke about is a god or goddess, but no one that is not part of the family knows which one.

For some extinct families, we know what _form_ gifted them with magic because we have their grimoires. We know, for example, why Salazar Slytherin and his line, among other, had the ability to speak with snake, and it was because magic was gifted them by an ancient goddess who asked, in exchange, that they took care of some snake sacred to her.

“This is, anyhow, what was believed to be absolute truth until the last century. No one would’ve said this wasn’t true back then. Obviously, something changed since then.”

One of the Ravenclaws raised her hand. “But how were people sure it was the truth, Professor?”

“We knew, just like it. Those tales are passed down from one generation to the next since the beginning of our families, along with the family’s grimoires and traditions. Some people always thought that the details were invented, just a nice frame for the story to be more fascinating.”

Then Hermione rose her hand, looking a bit agitated. “Doesn’t it resemble too much how muggles think magic works? I mean, sacrifices and gifts? Really?”

“I don’t see why it would be less credible just because muggles believe something similar to it, Mrs Granger. In Britain the Magic and Muggle community lived alongside until the late 13th century, and the International Statute of Secrecy was approved only in 1689; in some places magic isn’t even frowned upon by muggles. And muggles must have took their ideas somewhere, they resemble too much our world to be completely fake.”

Before Hermione could start speaking again, Professor Black rose from her seat, made a quick movement with her wand, and a pile of books from the small table beside her started distributing between the students. No one resembled the other, Harry noticed.

“Now, the homework from this course will be a bit different than the rest. You will have three tasks. First, a weekly one. Each week we are going to study about a different part of the wizarding word: the Ministry, the Guilds, House Elves… every part of it. You’ll have to give back an essay on those when I’ll ask for them. Second and third: each semester you will have a specific argument to work on and you’ll give me a long essay about it. You will have the whole semester for it, so you really will have to work on it. The books you are receiving now are an input so you can start making your researches, but you’ll have to search for the other sources yourselves, no help from me. All of you, of course, will have a different one. Now go, your next lesson waits for you.”

And then she disappeared.

“How she did it?” Hermione nearly screamed at his side. “No one can apparate inside of Hogwarts!”


	4. A knut for your thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the 1st April!  
> Happy Birth Gred and Forge!
> 
> Enjoy whatever monstrosity I wrote and tell me what you think of it? Maybe I'm going a bit too fast with the story telling?

**Chapter 4.: A knut for your thoughts**

Snape looked as irritated as ever, and his Potion was becoming worse by the second. Harry would’ve felt a bit better about it if not for the scared looks the Hufflepuffs kept giving him. It made him feel like he’d grown up other two heads and wasn’t aware of it.

To his surprize, exactly when he thought his potion would’ve start exploding, Malfoy’s hand put some yellow herb in his cauldron and the potion stabilized. It still wasn’t the right colour, and Harry knew it was probably the worst thing he ever did in the Potion class, but he somehow didn’t thought Snape would’ve take points from him now that he was one of his snakes.

Her turned to his left to thank Malfoy “Thank you, Mal-“

“Try to not make anything else explode, would you Potter?”

“I was just trying to thank you, you know?”

“You’re welcome. Now start paying attention, we don’t have much time left.”

He was expecting some insult of some kind, but apparently the whole Slytherin House had decided that treating him like an irrelevant insect would be just fine. Harry was used to it, and anyway it wasn’t like he wanted to be friends with them, so it was just fine.

His Drought of Peace was now less green and more grey, but it wasn’t smelling as good as Malfoy’s. But Snape passed by and didn’t say anything, so Harry was quite happy. He started going toward Snape’s desktop to deliver his flagon, then Malfoy grabbed him and pulled him back and his flagon broke falling down.

“What the hell, Malfoy!” He whispered. The blond was too preoccupied with glaring at Macmillian.

“If I ever see you again trying this bullshit, Macmillian, you’ll prayed they never made me Prefect.”  
“I’m one too, Malfoy. You can’t take points from me.” The Hufflepuff answered back.

“Not from _you_ , no.” His voice become a bit more creeping, a bit more similar to Snape’s. “But I have the entire of your House left, and I’ll tell them who they’ll have to thank for it. Now disappear from my eyesight, you little nobody.” Then he let go of Harry’s robes.

“Why I feel like I should thank you, Malfoy?”

“Because you should. Start paying attention, Potter. In case you’d wondered, not many believe your story about how Diggory died.”

“And you do?”

Malfoy smiled ad him in his horrible way. “Saint Potter, may Merlin have mercy upon you. You’re now in Slytherin, of course we know you’re saying the truth.” Then he went to Snape and gave him his own potion. Harry felt even more observed than before.

When he arrived at Snape’s desk, he was ready for the punishment that was about to come.

“Your potion was Acceptable, but not good. Remember our meeting after your Defence lesson Potter.”

He didn’t even answer him but, before going out the room, he was sure he heard the crashing sound of another flagon falling down and Snape’s voice taking points from Hufflepuff.

***********

At lunch the rest of the Slytherins didn’t harassed him and he was finally free to join the Gryffindor table.

It didn’t look like the brightest of ideas, Harry realised when everyone suddenly hushed.

“Really?”

“You’re a Slytherin now.” A thin third year girl said, eyes down.

He was about to start screaming at her, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Harry! We have lunch break together, isn’t it great, mate? Let’s grab something and go to eat outside, Hermione is waiting for us.”

Harry took a breath, then another. “Yes, of course, let’s go.”

He and Ron collected some food and then went to one of the smallest courts, Hermione already there waiting for them.

“Well, at least you guys don’t believe I’m Death Eater now that I am in Slytherin.”

“C’mon mate, we know you. The hat put Fred and George there, too.” Ron shrugged. “Mom wasn’t happy about that. She didn’t send them a Howler, but that will come soon, I think. But they are the same Fred and George, no? They always were a bit… well… them, you know. It’s not like you guys will become Dark Wizards, we are just worried about you.” But he had a strange tone, like he was trying to not say something.

“How… how it went on Gryffindor, yesterday? Are they really so… unhappy with… me?”

“They will come around soon, don’t worry. I never thought I could be ashamed of our housemates, but…” So that was what Ron was afraid to say.

Harry shouldn’t had felt angry, it wasn’t as they usually believed him. They hadn’t believed him last year when he had sworn he didn’t put his name on the Goblet of Fire, so why should they believe him now?

“But I am still a Prefect, so that’s cool at least no, mate?”

Hermione may had tried her best to look unbothered by the fact she wasn’t one anymore, but Harry could see she wasn’t satisfied. Apparently, the students who were chosen and stayed in their first houses, like Ron, remained Prefects; but for those who changed house the new Head of House chose in each case. Flitwick had chosen Daphne Greengrass instead of Hermione, and his friend didn’t look happy about it.

Harry didn’t understand it. Hermione was the best witch of her generation, everyone said it, so why she wasn’t a Prefect for Ravenclaw was beyond Harry’s comprehension. He didn’t remember a time when Daphne Greengrass was exceptional during any lesson, and History of Magic that morning didn’t count, she was just talking about her own family’s history.

“They should had chosen you again, Hermione. This whole thing is a mess.”

“It doesn’t matter, Harry. This way I will have more time to focus on my OWLs. Now stop talking about this. Harry… Please tell me you’ll pay attention with them. I know they are ignoring you now, but… their parents _are_ Death Eaters.”

“I know, ok! They are strange. At Potions, Malfoy threatened Macmillian when he tried to make me stumble. They are just… strange.”

“Really, mate?” Ron seemed incredulous, “Malfoy?”

“They have a kind of code, or something.” Harry tried to explicate what happened the previous night, but he couldn’t find the words, and his mind was suddenly blank.

“It makes sense.” Said Hermione, “They’re always stitched together, aren’t they? I don’t think I ever saw a Slytherin wandering alone, they always go around in couples, at least. They’re so strange”

Harry took a chew of his ham sandwich. “I don’t think they won’t me to go around alone, either.” This morning they were all waiting for me to go at breakfast. I would say that they want to do something, but they mostly ignore me, as I said.”

“Well, took care about what they do around you, anyway. You know how Slytherins are. Always planning something.”

“I will. I am, Hermione, don’t worry.” I played a bit with his food, then changed topic, not wanting to speak about it anymore. “Ron, have you already had History of Magic?”

“Not yet, no. We have it on Wednesday. How is Sirius’ sister?”

“Oh, she’s bad!” Said Hermione, “She did something and looked like she disappeared at the end of the class. I really want to know how she did that, no one can apparate inside of Hogwarts, everyone knows that!”

“Well, probably she has some trick no one else knows Herm. She’s a Black, they’re famous or that.”

“That?”

“Well, dark magic and all that stuff, you know? They were always famous for that, since always. Mom says they probably did some pact with a demon to have their magic because there is not a Black, apart from Truffle, that was not in Slytherin and had messed up with dark magic.”

“Pact with a demon? You believe in all that sacrifices and pact thing, too?”

“Well, not really. The Weasleys don’t believe in all that since last century. It’s just stupid, really, who cares from where does magic comes from, anyway? It doesn’t really matter, at the end of the day.”

“All her course is about that.” Hermione didn’t look happy. She didn’t look happy during the lesson either, Harry recalled.

“Really? I really hoped her course will be easier, I already miss Binns…”

“Yeah, wait until you have her!”

“You’re going to have Umbridge later, no Harry?”

“Yes. She won’t be good, have you read the textbook, Hermione?”

“It’s horrible! I had her before lunch, she didn’t talk at all abut practicing, it’s all about theory. I don’t think the Ministry wants us to really learn about how we should defend ourselves. I think they’re afraid.”

“Afraid? Of what?”

“Well of you, Harry. And of Dumbledore, too. They are afraid Dumbledore is up to something and wants to take over Fudge, and they’re afraid that what you said about You-Know-Who being back is true and they don’t want to face all of that, so they send us Umbridge to keep us in line.

You should pay attention during her lesson, Harry. She will try to come after you, o you better keep calm with her.”

“Of course, I don’t want other problems, with everyone hating me now and having to be at Slytherin.”

***********

Harry didn’t follow Hermione’s advice.

That’s why he ended up having punishment with the Pink Toad for the next day and, probably, a bruise on his foot caused by all the times the Theodore Nott had tried to make him stop talking.

He didn’t believe he had such a tragic beginning of the year since the time he and Ron nearly destroyed that damned tree back in their Second Year.

***********

Snape’s office was in the dungeons, and was as dark and creepy as ever.

When Harry arrived, the Professor was already waiting for him. He sat behind his round and empty desk, potion ingredients everywhere in the room.

“Sit down, Mr. Potter.” The man continued scribbling down something in what it looked like a huge empty book, saying nothing for many minutes. “Now, I see that your notes are not that bad. You should of course do better in Potions and Charms, but you are quite good in Trasfiguration and D.A.D.A., and Professor Sprout tells me you do very good also in the practical part of her course, but not so well in the theory part.”

He seemed quite neutral in his tone, and Harry noticed that he wasn’t looking directly at him, but was focusing instead on something behind him. He nearly turned to look around, but then he thought maybe Snape was trying to forget he was actually speaking with him.

“You also do good in Astronomy and Cure of Magical Creatures, but are terrible in Divination and History of Magic. What do you want to do with your life, Mr. Potter?”

“Ehm…”

“Very eloquent, as always, I see.”

“I… thought about Auror, maybe?”

“You don’t seem very sure of that. Why Auror?”

“Well… it seems fitting, I think.”

“Fitting.” Snape looked angrier by the minute. “Potter. It’s still the beginning of the year, you’ll have time until later to pick up a career. I must advise you that an Auror career requires at least five NEWTs, and one of them is the Potion one. I do not admit anyone who didn’t had at least an O in my subject. You are currently at Acceptable, so if you really want to go that way you better start studying more seriously.

Now. As far as the thought of being a Slytherin may be revolting to you – no, don’t try to lie to me, Potter, everyone knows how you feel, – you are one now. You’ll behave like one. Which means that you’ll participate to the next House Party for at least an hour –“

“It’s just a party! Why should I participate?” He took a huge breath, before adding a small ‘professor’ in a quieter tone.

“It’s not just a party. If it was, I wouldn’t participate. It makes you bond with your housemates.”

“Maybe I don’t want to bond with them.”

“Too bad. You’ll still do.” Now Snape’s voice started raising, too.

“Why?” He was sure that Snape was about to punish them, with the tone he was taking. He was actually hoping that he would, it would mean he was still the same Snape that hated him.

But professor Snape closed his eyes, murmured something under his breath and then looked directly at him. He had never noticed Snape’s eyes were so black. He looked younger than ever, too, and for the first time Harry asked himself actually how old his teacher was.

“Look, Potter. I do not like you. You’re too much of a Gryffindor for me to ever like you. You obviously never think twice before acting or speaking, and that will be a problem this year. I know that that… woman… gave you a punishment today. Do you know why?”

“Because she hates me and thinks I’m a liar. Everyone thinks I’m a liar because they don’t want to believe that Voldemort’s back!”

Snape shivered. “Don’t say his name. Those may be the deep reasons because she punished you, and what you said and how you behaved in her class are of course just of an excuse. But you gave her that excuse, and no Slytherin would’ve done that.

That is why that trice damned Hat put you in my House. Because you _need_ to learn caution and you need to learn cunning, or you won’t survive this war, are you understanding me, Harry Potter?”

“I… yes, I think.” He never thought Snape could speak that way, for sure not to him. He seemed caring, using the same tone he used the previous night to speak about the Slytherin’s Rules.

“I don’t think you should be allowed to enter the Order, but neither that you should be left in the dark. You may be a child, but you can’t afford to be one, Potter. Not now that He is back. And this means that you can’t behave like one, either.”

“It isn’t fair.”

“Life isn’t. I it was Cedric Diggory would be alive, don’t you think?”

No one of them spoke, and a heavy silence fulfilled the room.

“We don’t need to like each other. I ought you an apology, Potter.”

“What?”

“Don’t try my patience, child.”

“An apology. You are… apologising to me.”

“You are a Slytherin now. And you are an orphan. I don’t know who has been taking care of you, the Headmaster just told us you live in the muggle world. Either way, you don’t have your parents anymore, and it’s my role as your Head of House to take care of you while you’re here. Which means that we have to start again our relationship, because I have no intention to hate one of my own snakes. So, my apologies, Mr Potter, for my hatred toward you these past years.”

“Why?” Harry felt like he was about to cry. No one had ever spoke to him with that tone; maybe just Lupin, but even he had a friendly tone in his voice that made him forget he wasn’t just a friend but an adult he could go with his problems. Dumbledore had always been very obscure and way too strange, and Harry always felt a bit in awe in his presence. McGonagall was way too strict, and the Mrs Weasley had always been like a mother hen towards him, never taking him seriously. Hagrid was his friend and even Sirius, which Harry deeply loved, sometimes seemed to treat him like he was his friend, like he thought he could have another James beside him if he squeezed his eyes enough.

The more he kept on that chain of thoughts, the more he felt erratic, and at the end he was fully on crying. He couldn’t look at Snape’s face, so he fixed his eyes on the collar of his shirt behind the dark jacket, noticing the way his hair was disappearing into the outer item. “Why you hate me? You always hated me, since the beginning.”

Snape didn’t seem disturbed by his tears, he just offered him a white tissue from a box on his desktop. Maybe he was used to Slytherins coming here to cry out their problems so their Head o House could solve them. Wasn’t that what he had said the previous night? That if they were bullied, they just had to go to him and he would’ve stopped everything? Harry didn’t remember McGonagall ever saying something like that to them, and now that he thought about it, why she didn’t spoke to them at the beginning of the year like Snape did the first night?

“Potter. Harry. I…” Snape looked nervous, gulping twice before starting to speak again, his voice more stead. “Your father and I entered Hogwarts together. We never liked each other, and our… relationship… with your father and godfather both, was worse than yours with Malfoy. Much worse. And you resemble very much your father. If you had always been in Slytherin maybe things would’ve been different, but you were in Gryffindor, and you behave like one. And I don’t admire much Gryffindor… qualities… of which you seem to have plenty. And I’m sorry about my behaviour. You’re not your father, even if for me was easier to think that than to believe you were your own person.”

Harry had closed his eyes in the middle of his speech. He really wanted to be angry, but somehow, he couldn’t manage it. No one had ever apologized to him. His heart was beating furiously in his ears, like a rushing river, and he could only think about all the times aunt Petunia had screamed at him, all the times uncle Vernon had thrown something at him, all the times he had to stay in his cupboard, keeping quiet with nothing more than a couple of broken plastic soldiers and an old blanket.

Harry had always thought Snape was worse than them, that Snape as worse than anybody save Voldemort. And yet here they were, and Snape was apologizing to him. He opened his eyes, and used all his remaining strength to search for his professor’s eyes.

“Thank you, sir.” He cleared his voice, then talked again. “And I’m sorry or all the times I was disrespectful toward you, it won’t happen again.”

“I’m sure it won’t, Mr Potter.” There wasn’t a hint of a laughter in his voice. “Now wash up and go to dinner, I know for sure that there will be treacle tart for dessert.”

Harry cleaned his face with the tissue Snape gave him, put it in his pocket, took his leather bag from the floor and went out from Snape’s office, for the first time happy with the new colours in his uniform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: On Wednesdays We Wear Green, Potter!


	5. On Wednesdays We Wear Green, Potter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello hello!
> 
> New chapter for you!
> 
> Honestly, I'm feeling conflicted, because on one hand I feel like I'm rushing my story, on the other this chapter is set on Harry's second day, and so will be the first half of the next one.   
> On the bright point, on the next chapter we will finally observe Harry interact both with Selene and the other Slytherins, as a group. 
> 
> After this one things will go faster tho, I promise.
> 
> Hope you like it!

**Chapter 5.: On Wednesdays We Wear Green, Potter!**

Harry skipped dinner.

He wasn’t in the mood to be surrounded by the other Slytherins, or people in general, so he just went to his dormitory and laid down on his bed, closing the green curtains around him.

It wasn’t that he now thought Snape was a really good person, and he still thought it was a really evil and stupid thing to hate him and treat him like had for four years just because when he was in school, he and his father hadn’t liked each other.

But… Snape was the first adult to ever apologize to him, and that was something big, at least in Harry’s book.

He wasn’t having hopes about his lessons becoming better somehow, Snape was still the same bat he will always be, but at least Harry now will be just another student.

Then there was the resorting thing, and Harry had tried to not talk about it and mostly avoided thinking about it, but after his talk with Snape he didn’t felt it was the right to do anymore.

He was in Slytherin. The thrice damned Hat wanted to put him there since his think First Year, and now he had the opportunity to do it. The Hat had resorted there the twins too, so maybe just being in Slytherin didn’t mean he would become a Dark Wizard or something bad. It didn’t necessarily mean that Slytherin was bad. Sure, Malfoy was a twat, but apart for him, he hadn’t really had much contact with the other Slytherins in the past years.

Maybe he should give them a chance.

And Fred and George seemed to be doing just fine and, sure, they were red and George so they would be doing fine everywhere, but surely that must mean something.

And then there was the thing about having to learn something there, that was what the hat said. So, what could Slytherin teach him?

The only thing he could think about was Dark Art; but he really didn’t want to meddle with something so evil and anyway it wasn’t like he could just ask his housemates “hey could you teach me the Dark Arts?” over his pumpkin juice next breakfast.

So, what was left?

Maybe he needed to learn how the enemy thought.

But he really didn’t thought about any o his schoolmates as the enemy. He knew that many of the Slytherins had Deatheaters as parents, but they were students, just like him.

“Just like me” Harry murmured.

He would’ve laughed, if he could, but he couldn’t remember ever being just a student. There was always something that came up, every year. And if it wasn’t Voldemort coming back than it was Dementors or evil creatures or just about everything else that could happen.

He hated his damned life.

***********

The next morning Harry woke up quite early, get ready as fast as he could and went in the Common Room. No one else seemed to had woken, and for the first time he could have a look around undisturbed.

He was magnificent, Harry thought, way better than the Gryffindor one. Sure, in Gryffindor, everything was cosy and warm, and a part of him thought it was great, but everything was always messy and there was never enough peace around to just sit down and study, which was why people like Hermione always hid in the Library instead of staying in the Common Room.

Slytherin was not like that. When he came back from the meeting with Snape the previous day, the room was full of students, and they were mostly talking with each other, but they still seemed to pay attention to their volume and no one was screaming around. Harry supposed Fred and George would change that a bit, but he couldn’t imagine the dungeons to ever become a chaotic space.

He took a random book from the shelves that covered the walls and sat down on a nearby table, putting down his bag. The tome was a deep purple colour with the title on the front: _Magic Circles and the Wheel of the Year_. Harry had no idea what either of those was and, recalling the first lesson with Sirius’ sister, he once thought o how little he knew of the magic world. _His_ world.

He had been very curious before coming to Hogwarts. He remembered he passed the weeks after going for the first time to Diagon Alley reading random pieces from the textbooks, wanting to know everything, and when he finally arrived, he forgot all about his curiosity, too occupied by his new friendships and being for the first time a place where no one thought him freak, where everyone was a freak just like him.

Harry opened the book and started reading. If he was in Slytherin to learn, then he will start learning until there was nothing else the Slyherins could offer him. Soon enough he become too engrossed with the book to notice the first students coming from their dormitories and, when someone sat in front of him, he didn’t raise his head.

“What are you reading, Harry?” Asked Tracey Davies.

She was probably one of the Slytherins he knew less. She was short and always cheerful, with bright blue eyes that were always smiling.

“Oh, I know that one! It’s very good, Professor Snape had me read it back in First Year. My father died when I was small so he never could teach me much, and my mom of course didn’t know much. It was very helpful at the beginning, it helped with understanding my housemates.”

She seemed to notice his perplexed face, she sat a bit straighter and calmed her demeanour. “You know, my mom is a muggleborn, but she studied at Uagadou so she’s not familiar with Magical British Culture. Yeah, I know! Everyone thinks all Slytherins are purebloods and stuff and, you know, my dad was in Slytherin, he came for a pureblood family too, but not all Slytherins are pureblood supremacists, just so you know. Anyway, good choice with that book, as I said is a really good one.”

Harry took some moments to absorb what the girl had just said to him. “Don’t you feel a bit… out of place, here? I mean…”

“No, I know what you mean. Not much, anyway, no. It was difficult at the beginning, because mom raised me with her traditions, you know, and we came to Britain just some months before I was due to start at Hogwarts. I presume it’s a bit like coming here a muggleborn, because you have to re-learn all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know, our is a different culture then the muggle one.”

“I never thought about that, I suppose.”

“Yeah, I suppose other Houses are a bit different from Slytherin. Here, we really care about traditions.”

“Ok, but why? I mean, the book is fascinating, really, but it’s all old stuff and I don’t know how it should matter anymore.”

“Maybe,” Tracey shrugged. “Not all of mean anything anymore, not all should. But we shouldn’t forget about our history all together. Like… Halloween.”

“What’s the problem with Halloween?” Harry adored the festivity at Hogwarts. Even if they did not put on some strange costume like muggles did, it was still a beautiful day, with the castle full of lights and fires, decorated with warms colours.

“Nothing much, but before Headmaster Dippett we celebrated Samhain, and then we forgot all about that, like we forgot about all the other celebrations like Ostara, or Imbolc or Beltane. And we forced everyone to forget about them too, because it was easier for us to do that than try to merge the muggleborns in our culture and maybe even try to create another way altogether.”

Harry had never thought much about all the holidays and the differences between the muggle world and the magic one. There where the obvious ones, like electricity or cars, but usually he never thought about all of that if something did not happen and Ron or another random Weasley talked to him with surprise in their voice for his ignorance.

Once again, he become frustrated with himself for never thinking about the new world he stepped in when he was eleven years old.

“Anyway, Harry, we can add the Wheel of the Year to the things we will speak about tomorrow.”

“What happens… tomorrow?”

“Oh, we have our weekly meeting.” She rose up and fixed her clothes. “All years have one. Ours is on Wednesdays, we meet up at after dinner in the third lounge room on the corridor between this and the smaller Common Room. Presence is mandatory, we have to sign a paper and if you don’t do it Professor Snape will want to have words with you.” She made a face at that. Harry didn’t want to _have words_ with Professor Snape after they started to fix their hatred.

“See you at breakfast, Harry.” She started to heed to the girl’s dormitories, still keeping talking. “Remember, on Wednesday we weak green!”

***********

The days passed fast. He went to his lessons and tried to not listen to the whispers that followed him. After a quick lunch with Ron at the end of the Gryffindor table – Hermione was hoarding books in the library – he went to his lessons and tried to fly low.

In the afternoon he went to the gardens, having a short schedule for that day. He had took the book with himself, and was reading about the rituals of Samhain, when two long shadows fell over him. Red and George where smiling in their mischievous way, their green ties messed up.

“Hey, guys.” He greeted them.

“Harrykins –“

“What a great coincidence –“

“To meet you here!”

A headache started to form inside his head. A headache with suspicious red hairs.

“We’re in Slytherin, now. Do Slytherins believe in coincidences?”

“Sure, if it’s in our favour!”

“So, what’s up guys?”

The twins sat down, each on either side.

“We wanted to be sure you were ok with being a little snake.” One of them started.

“It’s… strange. Don’t you think is strange?”

“Not that much, no.”

“Mom is furious of course –“

“First Weasleys to not be in Gryffindor, Harry!”

“But it’s fine!” They ended together.

Harry too some moments to wrap around his thoughts, closing is book and observing maniacally the cover. “Did the Hat said why he put you in Slytherin?”

“Ambition, Harry dear!”

“We are opening the joke shop after we finish here.”

“Mom and dad are really contrary, you know?”

“They want us to go and find some job at the ministry like dad –“

“But we really don’t want to.”

Ambition, Harry thought. Sure, the twins were full o that; and full of inventive, too. He didn’t know if he had any ambition in particular, if he ever had one. He supposed wanting to survive Voldemort was pretty ambitious, but that was beyond his choice. The truth was, there was nothing he particularly liked to do. Quidditch, he liked, but he didn’t wanted to keep playing after school. He liked DADA, he supposed, and he wanted to become an Auror because he knew his dad had been one. But he didn’t had the _ambition_ to become an Auror, not like Ron had the ambition to equal his brothers and make his family proud, or Hermione had the ambition to learn and make the world a better place.

He started feeling bad. He couldn’t keep going like that, he felt like he was put on a trampoline against his will since the re-sorting, maybe even since Cedric’s death, and couldn’t going off it. He couldn’t bear it anymore. He quickly put everything back in his bag, said goodbye to the twins with an half whisper, and ran back to the Common Room, ignoring the people staring at him. Maybe they thought he was crazy, like they did during the Second Year with the Chamber thing, or… he didn’t care anymore.

He just wanted everything to stop, he wanted to open his eyes and be back in his cupboard, being eleven again and not having to thing about a maniac murdered who wanted to kill him. He should’ve stayed with the Dursley. Maybe they hated him, but he would’ve been safer as a muggle than as a wizard. Maybe he would’ve been better if his parents had really died in a car-crash and his father had been a drunkard…

He noticed a voice in the background calling his name, but he kept walking. When he was nearly in front of the common room’s entrance, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Harry?”

He turned around. Sirius’ sister was in front of him, just some centimetres taller than him, an anxious expression on his face.

***********

In retrospective, Harry didn’t thought he had ever started a year crying in front of a professor two days in a row. He supposed his _ambition_ was setting records.


	6. Chapter 6.: There’s Strength in Numbers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should've posted yesterday, buuuuuut.... but nothing, I just was enjoying my birthday two days ago and I didn't wanted to do anything at all, so I'm late.  
> Anywaya, here it is.  
> Enjoy!

**Chapter 6.: There’s Strength in Numbers**

Professor Black’s office was beside her classroom. Harry thought it was the opposite of Snape’s, very big but nearly empty, and with plenty of light and plants all around. He liked it.

Selene sat him down, handing him a cup of tea with a sweat smell and some biscuits on the side. Harry took a couple sips while she looked at him intently, trying to masquerade his nervousness and not keeping on the line of thoughts he had all day. 

“Professor Snape told me you two talked yesterday.” She started speaking with a soft voice, lacking her usual lightness. “He told me that you and him said your apologies but that you hadn’t spoke about your new _slytheriness._ I’m assuming you’re having problems with the late changings in your life.”

Harry tried to find the words, any word really, but he could only gulp like a fish.

“Look Harry, I know we don’t know each other, but my brother tasked me with keeping an eye out for you, and you look more unhappy that you were this summer with all that trial problem you had. There aren’t many people in this castle that know certain… aspects… of your life, and I hope you know you can speak to me.”

“You were in Slytherin, right?”

“Correct.” She smiled at him.

“What was your ambition?”

She corrected her posture, looking at the side walls like she was remembering something.

“Not much back then, to be honest. I wanted to make my parents proud, but I never thought much about what was to become of me. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just… Slytherins are ambitious, no? And… even non-Slytherins, really. And I’m… not.”

“You’re worried because that? You shouldn’t, Harry. Not everyone knows how what to do with them selves at you age, some never know it.”

He fidgeted a bit in his chair. “Professor Snape yesterday asked me what I wanted to do after school, and I could only think about becoming an Auror but… I mean, my dad was one too, and I…”

“You don’t have to become your father Harry, you know that, right?”

“I suppose.” He whispered.

“I met him once or twice.”

He raised his eyes. “Really?”

“Yes. After school, I mean. Not many times, but he was my brother’s best friend. We never liked each other very much, we were too different, I’m afraid. I liked him more once he wasn’t a student, I must say. But again, I was a Slytherin, he was a Gryffindor… and we liked very different things, too.”

“Professor Snape said my father and he had a really bad relationship in school.”

“Oh, yes. Not nearly as bad as the one he had with Sirius, but still not a good one. Your father was really an outgoing person, and Professor Snape was on the other side of the spectrum. He liked his books and didn’t like people in general. He still doesn’t like people.” She laughed. “But they were children, you know? If I must be sincere, your father was a bit of a… well, like Fred and George Wesley all in one, but worse.”

“Oh.”

“He wasn’t a bad person, Harry. People usually grow up from their childhood selves. Well, not my brother, he’s still sixteen years old; but your father did.”

“Do you think he would’ve been happy with me being in Slytherin?” He asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

“Not when he was a teenager, maybe. But as an adult, he wouldn’t had made a big problem with it. Have you already told Sirius?” She asked curiously.

Harry shook his head. “I’m a bit afraid, actually. He really doesn’t like Slytherin.” He said remembering their chat about his family.

“Yeah, well, as I said, my brother is still a teenager inside, as I said. Maybe he will not like it at the beginning, but he will still love you.”

“Are you sure?”

“He still likes me and I’m as much a Slytherin as I can be!” She was again her usual cheerful self, Harry noticed, and this time he didn’t found her so much vapid or deceitful as he always did.

“I don’t really know what I want to do, what I want to be.” He had finished his tea and was nipping at the biscuits. They had a really nice caramel and salt flavour, and he didn’t remember ever having that flavour combination before.

“You don’t have to know yet.”

“I know I want Voldemort to be defeated, though.”

“Reasonable.”

“And he sees me as his antagonist, I believe. I don’t think I have much choice there.”

“No, you really don’t. Which sucks, of course. Have you thought about how to defeat him?”

“No, I… the Hat told me that I _needed_ to be in Slytherin to learn how. At the beginning I thought that was just some stupid thing but… I don’t know, I’m realizing I don’t know much about, well… everything? Like… I really don’t understand it. Even your lesson, I didn’t know any of that but the other Slytherins all do, just because I didn’t grow up in the wizarding world and it’s just… unfair, I think?” He tried to put his thought together. “And this afternoon… I don’t know… it all became too much all of a sudden.”

“You’re fifteen Harry. It’s normal to not be able to face up these many emotions at your age. And you’re having much more problems than the average person your age, so no one could really judge you. Many will anyway, but you don’t have to listen to them.”

“I’m trying. It’s hard.” He took a deep breath. “It’s like they just need an excuse to do so, you know. Every year is something different and I’m just… tired… I don’t know. I just want to have a peaceful year for once.”

Selene played a bit with a red quill on her desk, passing her glare all around the room. “You know, you’re in Slytherin now. I know Severus gave you a speech the first night, he always does so, and I was in Slytherin too and some things never really change.

In Slytherin, we are a family. Maybe we don’t all like each other, but we help each other, that’s a given. Your new housemates may not like you; they don’t even know you, not really, but they will help you. If you want to know more about your culture, they’re there to answer you. And they can help you learn other magic, too.” She said allusively.

“You mean… dark magic?”

She laughed. “That one too, sure. But you have Tracey Davies in you year, and I know she teach her housemates some of the magic her mother taught her. The Zabini family is famous for their understanding of emotion and what it does to our spells, for example. Or the Parkinsons, they had always been potionists. That’s the good thing of our House, we share our traditions because we think that’s the most important thing we have. Sometimes it’s not a good trait. We should be more open, surely, but… they will help you, you just have to ask them, Harry.”

“I will ask them with what I need then. Tracey has really been nice to me these days, too, so…” Harry shrugged, and then frowned. “Dark magic, though… I mean, the Ministry is already against me…”

“There is Dark Magic and Black Magic, they’re a bit different.” She corrected him. “The latter it’s not illegal, you know.”

“Really?”

“Frowned upon, sure. But the Ministry hasn’t really banned it.”

“Ok but… I mean, Voldemort use it.”

“Sure, he does. But your mother must’ve had too, as far as we understand it.”

“My mother…?” No one really talked about his mother to him. His father, they spoke about him and how much Harry resembled him, but that was it.

“Well, Dumbledore thinks she must’ve done a complicated spell to protect you from the Killing Curse. Severus and I think that, too. And there’s no Light Magic that could go against such a spell. It’s the only think that makes sense, really. But you must know that not all Black Magic is bad. Intent means a lot, when you cast a spell. Black Magic has just a higher price, and usually the people who are willing to pay that price are willing to do other things too. But… you know, you can hurt people with all kind of Magic, light one too. It doesn’t really mean anything more that hat you want it to mean. But I see you are not convinced. Tell me, have you read your family Grimoire?”

“We have one?” Asked harry, surprised.

“Sure. The Potter family is not as ancient as the Black one, or the Weasley’s, but it’s still a pureblood family. The Grimoire must be in your vault, if you ask Gringrott’s they’ll give it to you. You might learn much more of yourself that you already do, and maybe it will help you feel better about all that’s happening around you, and to you.”

“I… thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s your legacy, it’s due to you.” She smiled to him. “And you may not believe me on everything I said about Dark and Black Magic, and everything else, but that’s fine too, Harry. You can ask around and make your own mind, you’re not a child anymore.”

“Thank you, Professor. I feel a better.”

Before he could get out of her office, Sirius’ sister spoke again.

“Harry. I know that you have detention with Professor Umbridge tomorrow. Take care about what you do and say around that woman. The Ministry sent her here for some reason besides _teach_ you. She’s dangerous. If she does something… out of normal, let’s say… tell me or Professor Snape.”

He nodded and smiled at her, feeling hopeful all of a sudden.

***********

The next afternoon, after his detention and having skipped dinner again, he went to the room Tracey had told him about, keeping the remaining rage from the pain on his hand for himself.

Selene may had told him to go to her, but he didn’t want her to think he was a child who couldn’t take care of himself, so he just kept it for himself.

The room itself was small and cosy, with a circular table surrounded by armchairs in the middle. On the door there was a silver plate, the words ‘Caelian Circle’ engraved on it. He had no idea of what that meant.

He was the first one to arrive, so he just roomed around, having a look at the walls covered by tapestries with battle scenes on them. He was studying the armour of what looked like a roman soldier, trying to distract himself from the lingering pain in his hand and not thinking about liars and connected things, when the door was opened and the rest of the Slytherins of his year came in, looking like they had changed from their school robes.

Malfoy sat down and Harry approached the last chair left, noticing for the first time that they had each a name on their backside.

Once everyone was sitting down, the candles at the centre lighted on and food and parchment appeared on the table. Harry looked at the quill at his left, noticing how pricey it looked. Now that he thought about it, everything looked pricey in his new House.

Malfoy looked around, seeming somehow satisfied by the act that Harry wasn’t wearing his school robes either.

“Good evening, Slytherins. I know there are some of us here that weren’t in our House until this year, so it’s better to start with the formalities.

Harry, Susan, welcome to the first meeting of the Caelian Circle of this year. As far as I understand, the other houses do not have this tradition, so let us tell you why are we meeting.” His voice was the most pleasant Harry had ever heard from him. He then nodded to Nott with serious expression on his face. “Theodore.”

The blond guy nodded back, straightened his back a bit and then started speaking with an even more serious tone than Malfoy’s one.

“Here in Slytherin we have the tradition of meeting, once a week, every week from the start to the end of the year. Each year has a room dedicated for their meetings, which we call ‘circles’. The names come from the seven hills of ancient Rome and the tradition goes on from the times of Slytherin himself. We are her to discuss the organizations of the festivities linked to the Wheel of the Year, which are mandatory. Each year from the Fourth has to organize two of the celebrations, we are in charge of Mabon and Ostara. Other of that, each year does a magic project that we demonstrate to our Head of House at the end of the year.” He looked fervent all of a sudden, a fiery glance in his eyes. “Last year we were able to create a magic space accessible to all the people who create it, independently of where they are. We will show you later, it’s amazing, it’s a mirror than you can walk in and appear in a room in another astral plane. It has never been done before.”

Harry’s eyes become bigger as he started to understand why the Hat put him there to learn instead of in Ravenclaw. Then Nott calmed down a bit before starting to speak again.

“Apart for our main yearly project, we also meet to decide how to help each other with our problems. You must know that this room is charmed, so we can’t speak about what we do here outside of here and if someone tries to take a look at our memories, they will just find us doing our homework.”

At Harry’s side, Susan Bones looked exited. “What will do this year, then?”

Malfoy was then taking again the lead. “We have to decide together. Someone has propositions?”

“We could work on actually learn how to access the astral plane without the help o the mirror.” Zabini said.

Pansy Parkinson raised her hand. “We could perfectionate some complicated potion, like the Polyjuice one for example, so they can have a longer duration. Professor Snape would be proud of that!”

Tracey didn’t look convinced at that. “I was thinking about some of the magic my mom is teaching me. I would like to learn how to create a Boggart at command, that would be helpful, no?”

The students kept on proposing project, one harder than the other, for at least another ten minutes.

It was then Draco’s turn to propose something. “I really love all your ideas, but it’s all the summer I am thinking about something.” He looked at all of them, making sure he had their attention. “We should become Animagi.” Then he left his words sink.

Harry could see the benefits of all the proposals, really, even the ones form Parkinson, all linked to Potions. But no one of them was as tempting as Malfoy’s.

Everyone seemed just as excited as him, and soon enough they agreed on the Animagi project. Malfoy had already a list of books they needed and he had ordered them from Flourish and Blotts over the summer, so they decided to order each a copy of those and actually start when they had the books at hand.

After that they started speaking about Mabon, the nearest festivity. Harry had read some about that on the book he started the day before, and he knew it celebrated the Autumns Equinox and the fruits of earth. But he didn’t know exactly what the celebration would entail.

Zabini started scribbing something on his parchments. “I was thining we could organize a midnight picknick in the Forbidden Forest this year. Professor Snape and Professor Black will participate, so it shouldn’t be a problem for us to go there. Plus, it will be all the House. We can even do the proper rituals being outside.”

“Yeah, it sounds good. My family always does something for Mabon, so –“ Susan Bones started. But then she abruptly interrupted herself, frowned and took Harrys had, putting it on the table with a loud ‘thud’. “What in the name off Merlin is that, Potter?”

“Nothing! Nothing, really.” He tried to take away his hand, but apparently timid and nice Susan Bones, ex-Hufflepuff, had an iron grasp just a bit weaker than her will.

Pansy Parkins stopped sipping tea from her dainty cup and looked intently at his hand, spread on the table. “ _I must not tell lies_ ” She spelled slowly, a dark shadow passing on her face. “That BITCH!” She screamed, crashing the porcelain on the ground. She looked absolutely _furious_ , and she started walking around the room, hand behind her back and the look of an unpleased general on her face.

“Potter.” Malfoy had a terrible tone and was glaring intently at him, a certain level of craziness in his light eyes. “You had detention with Umbridge this afternoon, if I’m not wrong.”

Harry felt blocked by his glare, and preferred keeping his eyes fixed on his little nemesis that look at the others. Professor Black has told him to ask for his housemates help and, for once in his life, he wanted to heed an adult’s counsel. “Yes.”

“You will go to speak about this with Professor Snape after we finish here. I will escort you.”

“Yes.” He didn’t seem like he could say anything else, but at least Susan left his hand. There was a heavy air all around the room.

Tracey started drumming her fingers on the table. “We must do something. That _woman_ is a menace. It was bad enough she isn’t going to teach us anything, but THIS!”

Theodore Nott was breathing hard and was exchanging strange looks with Malfoy, which once again seemed to be in charge of the all thing.

“Potter, you will not speak again in her classroom. She’s too dangerous and obviously has a problem with you personally. One of us has to try to enrage her in your place. Blaise or Susan, I would think, one of you would be the ideal scapegoat.”

Zabini nodded his head. “I will do it.”

“Good. We need to take her out of the graces of an important member of society, and your mother is ideal. Zabini is famous as a family that keeps neutrality in everything, so no one could accuse you of having some dark second purpose to go against her.” Malfoy took a breath and squinted his whole face like he was in pain. “We have to wait for what Professor Snape will say to take further action.”

Soon enough, after some other display of displeasure from everyone, the meeting was dismissed and Malfoy waited for Harry to follow him, looking more displeased than Harry ever saw him.

“Look, Potter… Harry. We are now in the same house. And I may not like you, but you’re a fellow Slytherin and you’ll have us on your side, so don’t try to resolve this alone, ok?”

They stopped in front of a tapestry in the first smaller Common Room, than Malfoy tickled a small snake depicted in it and the tapestry opened like a curtain, showing a corridor with a door at the end of it. Malfoy took Harry’s wrist and dragged him in front of the door, knocking twice and then putting in hand in front of Snape’s nose.

“That _toad_ must go, uncle Severus!


	7. Cap 7.: Deep In The Dungeons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello!
> 
> Sorry for the delay in publishing, I'm having some problems at work so right now updates will be fewer.  
> All should be good in a month or so, meanwhile enjoy chapter 7!

**Cap 7.: Deep In The Dungeons**

It was known that Severus Snape wasn’t a charming man, nor a warm one. 

He didn’t like idle, arrogant people, those who felt entitled to something for any reason, and his Hogwarts years hadn’t been any easier on him for that.

But he was a very intelligent man, so much that he had being invited to join the Guild of Potioners before finishing school and he was the youngest one to ever join it. He passed half of his life creating new potions and perfecting existing ones, and he even had created some charms and hexes in his younger years.

His Slytherins housemates hadn’t appreciated him much when he was young, with some exceptions, but with the years he had become one of the most respected wizards of his generations, even if still very few people found him likable. Some days he didn’t find himself likable either, so that was just fine.

He didn’t find himself caring for others opinions, nor their lives, but there was one thing he did care deeply about, and that was his broad of little snakes. He wasn’t going to have any children of his blood, that he was sure of, but he saw his snakes as his children somehow. Maybe he hadn’t helped put them in this world, but from the age of eleven to eighteen they were his wards and it was his job to take care of them and see to their needs. He didn’t like all of them, far from it. But they were his and no one was allowed to abuse them.

That was why he had decided to make peace with James Potter’s son. It hadn’t been easy for him, and Selene had to literally sit him down and asked him to think about his behaviour during the previous years. He had felt a bit like his students were feeling when he sat them down to ask them about their own misbehaviours.

He had thought extensively about the boy. Maybe he had been wrong in seeing him as entitled, maybe he was just another child and he had let the lingering hate for Potter, Black and their clique go too far. But Harry Potter was a Slytherin now, and that meant more than anything else.

So, he had apologised – Selene had been very proud of him – and had thought that now that he was a Slytherin things would go a bit more smoothly for the boy.

He hadn’t put damned Dolores Umbridge in account, though. The wretched woman was­ being a pain and the first week hadn’t even finished. She was dispensing punishments in her vomit-inducing saccharine voice as they were candies and Severus had an unfortunate visit in her office, all the pink seriously damaging his eyes for the rest of his life.

But he hadn’t thought that she was going so far as to damage physically his students. Oh, she could’ve done what she wanted with the rest of the school if their uniform wasn’t green. Severus would not like that and would have to speak with the other House Heads so they would take care of the situations, but at the end of the day his jobs was to teach the little monsters how to not kill themselves in his class and to take care of his House, and that was it.

Being the Slytherin Head of House was a lifelong commitment, even though some of the past Heads had not treated it with its due respect. Slughorn was an example of that, but Severus had put an end to his reign of nepotism and the House was doing fine lately. He kept a tight watch on them and he wanted only the best for them. Dolores Umbridge was far from the best. She was far from acceptable, either, and the words still on Harry Potter’s hand were testament to that.

He had stood in silence when Draco had stormed in his rooms and he and Harry spoke to him about the unspeakable things that woman was doing. A plan had started to form in his head after he went to Dumbledore and had found him nearly expressionless and as unhelpful as ever. He hadn’t done anything when the Marauders tormented him and he wasn’t doing anything now. Severus found himself in a state of perpetual bitterness since the Headmaster hadn’t done much more than say that he would see to the problem. Well, Slytherins don’t do well letting others taking care of their problems, and this was a Slytherin problem now.

A personal problem, too. Lily and he had tried to rekindle their friendship after the school years, but things weren’t just meant to be. In truth, Severus had stopped romancing her late in his sixth year, but their childhood friendship still meant something to him. She had been the only friend he had, before Selene took a liking of his strangeness and Narcissa followed her cousin antics. He had no intention of letting Lily’s son in danger’s arms any longer, if just for the sake of his childhood memories.

The plan to put down the danger wasn’t original at all, but he had learned that sometimes a plan didn’t need refinement to work. Selene was hoping in something fancier, maybe even transmuting the woman in a creature from the legends, a giant monster with one hundred eyes and no mouth so they could blind her with fire and smoke. She had a poetic vein in her Severus lacked.

No, something easier was needed. They had the Ministry’s eyes on them and couldn’t really afford a creative vengeance. For now, a scapegoat was the most rational solution. A scapegoat that the Ministry would find unacceptable to be put in harm’s way, so Zabini’s offer to be just that speared them of the need to search for another.

Then came the frustrating part, for they had to wait a couple of months so Umbridge could go over the line with the boy and they could expose her as the truly disgusting creature she was. Just because Severus was used to waiting – waiting for the Dark Lord to come back, waiting for his plans, then Dumbledore’s ones, then waiting to be convoked by one of them – didn’t meant he liked that. He never had, in truth. Selene had said that, when the time to expose Umbridge ways would come up, the carpet in his rooms would be shredded to pieces for all the times he would’ve passed walking up and down like a caged beast.

Well, Severus supposed she was right, but anyway he did not care for the carpet at all.

Maybe he would use the damned thing to roll the body of the pink horror out of the castle. The thought made his curl his upper lip in satisfaction.

*******

The week went on as every first week at Hogwarts had before for Harry, with the not so small exception of the Slytherins, Malfoy especially, being a lot nicer to him. That all the rest of the school seemed to find that was the confirmation of Harry being a liar and, possibly, the Next Dark Lord, Harry didn’t think a strange thing.

They were thinking that every year, anyway, and he had decided to actually stop caring for once.

Professor Snape had been livid that night in his rooms, but he had not screamed or anything else, just telling them to go on with their plan to make Blaise a scapegoat and that he would’ve took care of the rest.

Strangely enough, for once Harry wasn’t having problems with the adults in his life taking care of his problems. He knew Snape and Selene were up to something, and the rest of the Slytherins seemed to be quite ok with letting them take the lead, too. It was nice to be able to trust an adult with his care. Not that Professor McGonagall wasn’t a nice person, but she was always quite distant with her Gryffindors, maybe it had to do with her age, Harry wasn’t sure.

He hadn’t saw much of his friends, being too occupied with planning his new study schedule – between the Circle and the books he was reading he really felt motivated to do better - and getting to know the other Slytherins. A voice in the back of his head kept telling him that it was wrong to fraternize with the enemy, but there was a louder voice that screamed at him that now he was a Slytherin and Slytherins don’t care about the judgement of others.

Tracey kept being his favourite, because she was always cheerful in a non-invasive way that he really appreciated. He discovered that she woke up early every morning and liked everything as sugarless as possible. She avoided dessert all together at each meal and he had saw her being nice to members of all four Houses.

He talked a bit with Blaise Zabini, too. The dark-skinned boy was on the quite side, not speaking much or giving anything away with his expressions, but each time they spoke he had always good inputs for him and, besides that, he liked playing chess, so they usually played a bit every evening before going to sleep.

Susan Bones was quite nice too, and she seemed very knowledgeable. He thought she was somehow related to the same Madama Bones that spoke at his hearing, and whatever was their relationship the two looked similar in behaviour. Very calm and posed, never judging. She, Harry had got to know, liked to sleep over in the morning and always get out of her rooms singing happily something under her breath.

He was still having problems categorizing Theodore Nott. The boy was awfully quiet, but Harry had seen he and Malfoy spoke quite often, voices low and demeanour subdued somehow. But he noted how he was always taking aside some piece of fruit or sandwich at breakfast, and Tracey told him that Nott liked writing. She didn’t know exactly _what_ he wrote about, and he often get lost in his world, so he always took care to put some food aside in the case he forgot to go to dinner or lunch.

The ones he didn’t know what to think about were Pansy Parkison and Draco Malfoy.

The girl was a contradiction wrapped in nice proper clothes and spurs of absolute rage. He had often caught her throwing a book, parchment or some other random thing at the other Slytherins, mostly Malfoy and a boy one year their senior that resembled her a bit. Outside the house, she never behaved that aggressively, but she was most often found exchanging barbs with other students, and once Harry had actually saw one of her victims – a seven-year Ravenclaw – running away from her with actual _tears_ on her eyes. On one hand, he thought her absolutely savage. On the other, he couldn’t really despise her after her show of rage on his behalf after Umbridge’s punishment was revealed at the Circle meeting.

And, at the end, there was Draco Malfoy himself. The boy was a nightmare as he’d ever been, always spitting some sarcastic venom at someone and behaving like he owned the place and yet found it below his standards. And yet everyone seemed to really like him, Harry didn’t know why. That admiration didn’t seem fake to him and, after some digging, he discovered that he tutored for free half the Slytherins in the years below theirs. When someone needed some counsel, they often found their way to Malfoy and he always helped them. He seemed to be quite the ruler here, always organizing something and taking control over everything, over everyone. Truly, it was scaring.

On Friday, after they all came back from dinner, he had climbed on one of the tables in the Common Room, all the House surrounding him and waiting for his words’ like he was the Messiah, and proudly announced that the Slytherin Quidditch Team had four positions open, the two beaters, the keeper and the seeker. Harry hadn’t had time to take another breath that Malfoy had pointed at him and quite ordered him to take the seeker position, as he himself was switching to chaser.

The room had _roared,_ and everyone had congratulated Harry and said how proud they were of him being a Slytherin now while Malfoy stood tall and smug on the table. The sparkle in their eyes had scared him, too. The whole House scared him a bit.

He didn’t want to enter into the Slytherin Quidditch Team. Everyone was already hating him, and if he entered the team, he was quite sure the Gryffindors will hunt him down.

Yet he didn’t spoke, just glared at Malfoy all the way to the dormitory. And he kept glaring at him all the way until the next breakfast, while everyone was still congratulating him.

*******

Harry had organized his Saturday morning with Ron and Hermione, and they found themselves in one the hundreds of empty rooms of the castle. Hermione looked better in blue than red, Harry had to admit, but she had also a kind of dishevelled look around her.

“Hey, Mione. Everything fine?” he greeted her.

“Yes.” She answered in a hurried tone. “Why are you asking?”

“Why is he asking? You look like you fought with kneazle!” Of course, Ron wouldn’t find any tact in him to approach her.

Hermione snorted and sat down in one of the various chairs in room. “It has been a hard first week. I had never thought Ravenclaw to be this strange, boys, I swear.”

Stranger than Slytherin? Harry thought. “What do you mean?”

“They are the most individualistic creatures I have ever met! They never help anyone; it doesn’t matter if they are in the same House. They just do everything alone and they are doing strange projects all the time, all around the Common Room. It looks like the laboratory of crazy scientist, there. It’s insufferable, really!”

“Well, Hermione.” Ron started hesitantly. “You were always a bit… individualistic… too. I mean, you helped us all the time! You did! But you were always a bit more, well, less gregarious than the average Gryffindor.”

“I know! I know. It’s just hard to acclimatize, that’s all. Harder than I thought, anyway.” She took a deep breath. “And then there is the History of Magic course. Is a mess. And my project is crazy, too, I have to research about the Fairymother Spell, and I didn’t even thought that was a thing!”

“Hugh, I wished I could do that.” Ron lamented. “I have to research the use of muggle technology in magic through history. I don’t even know where to start there.”

Harry nodded along with them. Selene’s course was being really hard, way more than Binn’s. But harder as it was, Harry was enjoiying it.

“What about yours, Harry?”

“Mmm. It’s hard, but cool. I have to research Blood Magic.”

“Blood Magic?” Hermione didn’t look happy. “That’s… well. She choose strange topics. Hard ones.”

“Yeah, but I’m finding a lot of books. It will take some time but it’s ok.”

“A lot of books on Blood Magic?” Ron laughed, “Slytherin must be full of them!”

There was something in his tone Harry didn’t like.

“Well, they’re just books, Ron.”

“Books on Blood Magic!”

“It’s not like I have to do some of it, I just need to study it!”

“It’s the same.”

“It’s not!”

“Well, what’s next? You’ll go out there to celebrate the old ways with those snakes?” Ron was red in the face at that point, and Harry too had a bit of red hue in his own.

“Why shouldn’t I, it’s a celebration not a murder!”

“It’s pureblood propaganda, the Ministry should just ban them!”

“Boys, plea….”

“You know what, I’ll happily go to the celebration. As the Slytherin seeker, how about that, mmm?”

Then he stormed out the room, leaving a livid Ron and a crying Hermione behind himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter: It's a pink toad, baby!
> 
> 1\. Part of the inspiration for this work comes form "Evitative" of Vichan (if you haven't read it, you totally should. Like, right now, go), so you might find some parts that are similar, albeit the story itself being quite different.  
> 2\. English is not my mother tongue, not even a second one, and it will show in the text (sadly). So, if some good soul feels like correcting my horrible grammar, you're welcome.  
> 3\. Last time I wrote a fan fiction it was nearly years ago, saying that I'm rusty at this would be a huge compliment.


End file.
